What type of bird feeder should I get?

I live in Ottawa. Which types of birds should I be attracting to my yard with a bird feeder? I see a lot of finches but if I try to attract cardinals and blue jays will I be wasting my money on seeds for them?What type of bird feeder should I get?
You will be able to attract the finches, but should know that the thistle (sometimes called Nyjer) takes a special feeder because the seed is so small. They are either tube feeders with a metal mesh small enough so that the seed does not fall out or what is called a thistle sock. This is made of a special type of material that will allow the finches to peck through the material but will still keep the small seed in. If squirrels are a problem you will want to go with a solid metal feeder rather than the sock.





Black oil sunflower will attract cardinals and blue jays, but if you are just starting out I would recommend a mixed wild bird seed with a high percentage of sunflower in the mix. This will attract more birds and sometimes just having birds in your yard will make your yard more appealing to the species you want. I know that both species will come to a hopper or tube feeder and if squirrels are a problem I would recommend that type over a platform feeder.





Please place your feeders far enough away from anything a cat can hide in, but give the birds some place to hide if they feel threatened. You can get more information about this at my hint and tips page.





Remember the three things that will attract birds to your yard are food, water and shelter.What type of bird feeder should I get?
Well your onto something when it comes to blue jays....They are HOGS. They will eat alot but, wasting your money? No I don't think so if you want to attract birds. Thistle seed is fairly cheap in bulk for the finches and Black Sunflower seeds are what the blue jays and cardinals will eat, they can also be bought in bulk.
I don't know how many squirrels are in Ottawa but if there are any you should get the feed below:





http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr鈥?/a>





We have two of them and they work the best at keeping squirrels away.
Both prefer platform feeders rather than boxes and tubes. For cardinals provide sunflowers, peanuts, dry fruit or dry fruit suet and meal worms. Blue jays prefer nuts such as peanuts. Both need water.